< 2 Korinther 3 >

1 Fangen wir schon wieder an, uns selbst zu empfehlen? ist es etwa an dem, daß wir wie gewisse Leute Empfehlungsbriefe brauchen an euch oder von euch?
[As I write these things about myself], I am [RHQ] not [doing it] to boast about how good I am, [as some of you say I do]. Some people always carry letters with them that tell how well they work, [that other people] have [written]. But I do not [RHQ] need [to bring] letters like that [when I come to you]. Nor do I need to ask you [to write] letters like that [for me when I go to other congregations].
2 Unser Brief seid ihr selbst, uns in die Herzen geschrieben, gekannt und gelesen von aller Welt.
You yourselves are [MET] [like a] letter that recommends my work [for God to everyone]. People see [how Christ changed] your [lives when you believed the message that I taught you]. Everyone [who knows you] can see [the result of my work for God].
3 Ist doch euch klar anzusehen, daß ihr ein Brief Christus' seid, durch uns besorgt, geschrieben nicht mit Tinte, sondern mit des lebendigen Gottes Geist, nicht in steinerne Tafeln, sondern in fleischerne Tafeln des Herzens.
You are [MET] [like] a letter that Christ himself [has written] that says good things about [my work for God in your lives]. You show [people by the way you now conduct your lives that God has changed your lives] as a result of my work [among you. People did] not [find out about you by] reading [a letter that was written to them on paper] with [pen and] ink. Instead, [they saw how] the Spirit of the all-powerful God [has changed your lives]. Nor [did people find out about you by reading] a letter that was carved on stone slabs [like the stone slabs that God gave to Moses]. Instead, [it was the change that God’s Spirit made in] your lives [MET] [that they saw].
4 Solche Zuversicht haben wir durch den Christus zu Gott;
I [can very] confidently [write these things about the work that Silas, Timothy, and I did among you, because God knows that what I write is true. We(exc) are true workers] for God [because of what] Christ [has done for us].
5 nicht daß wir von uns selbst aus fähig wären, mit eigenen Gedanken; sondern was wir können, kommt von Gott,
We [(exc)], by ourselves, do not have the ability [to do this work]. None of us [apostles] can say, “[I have changed the lives of these people].” God is the one [who has given us this ability].
6 der uns gerade fähig gemacht hat zu Gehilfen des neuen Bundes, nicht des Buchstabens, sondern des Geistes. Denn der Buchstabe tötet, der Geist aber macht lebendig.
He is the one who enables us [(exc)] to be his messengers. [He has enabled us to tell people the message] about the new agreement [that he is making with them]. This is not a [message about obeying all the] written laws [of his old agreement that he made with the Jewish people]. Instead, [it is a message about God giving us his] Spirit. [Previously, God condemned people to be] separated from him forever [if they did not obey his laws]. But by [God’s new agreement] his Spirit enables people to live [eternally].
7 Wenn aber der Dienst des Todes, mit seiner Buchstabenschrift auf Stein, von solcher Herrlichkeit war, daß die Söhne Israel nicht vermochten dem Moses ins Angesicht zu sehen, wegen der Herrlichkeit seines Angesichts, die doch vergänglich war:
[Moses] taught [the people that if they did not obey God’s laws completely they would be] separated from God forever. [God] wrote [his laws] on stone [slabs. Then he gave them to Moses to teach them to the people. Although God’s laws condemned the people] to die, [when Moses brought those laws down from Sinai Mountain, God caused Moses’ face to shine] Moses’ face to shine radiantly [to show the people that these laws were God’s laws. It shone]. so brightly that the people of Israel could not keep looking at Moses’ face. [They had to look away]. But the brightness was slowly fading away.
8 von wie viel größerer Herrlichkeit wird der Dienst des Geistes sein?
[So], [since God showed in such a wonderful way that those laws that condemned the people to die were from him], surely when we [(exc)] teach [people about how God’s] Spirit will [change their lives], [God will show] in an even more wonderful way [that] it is [his message.] [RHQ]
9 Wenn der Dienst der Verwerfung herrlich ist, so muß der Dienst der Gerechtigkeit um so mehr von Herrlichkeit überfließen.
The message [that Moses taught them was wonderful, but when people heard] that message, [they realized that they were sinners and that God] would punish them. But God’s message that we [(exc) teach is a] much more wonderful message. We teach people that God will (erase the record of/declare people no longer guilty for) [the sinful things that they have done].
10 Ja, die Herrlichkeit auf jener Seite verschwindet vor der überwältigenden Herrlichkeit.
[The truth is that, although the work of teaching the people to obey God’s laws] was once important, it is not as important now, because [the work of teaching people that God will forgive them and] enable them to live to please him is far more important.
11 Wenn die Erscheinung dessen, was zu nichte wird, herrlich war, so wird vielmehr in Herrlichkeit stehen, was da bleibt.
Furthermore, [the message that Moses taught was not a lasting message, just like] the brightness on his face was not lasting and soon faded away. But [when God gives his Spirit to people], the wonderful work that [God’s Spirit does in their lives] is much greater [because] it lasts forever.
12 Dieweil wir nun eine solche Hoffnung haben, treten wir mit allem Freimut auf.
We [(exc)] know that the message that we teach is a [much more wonderful message than the message that Moses taught]. So we [can preach] boldly.
13 Nicht wie Moses, der eine Hülle über sein Antlitz deckte, damit die Söhne Israel nicht hineinsehen sollten in das Ende dessen, was zu nichte wird.
We do not [need to put a veil over our faces when we teach people], as Moses did. Moses put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not see that the radiance [on his face] soon faded away. [Similarly, the glory of the old agreement has also faded away].
14 Aber ihre Gedanken sind verstockt worden. Denn bis auf den heutigen Tag liegt eben die nämliche Hülle auf der Vorlesung des alten Bundes, und bleibt damit verhüllt, daß er in Christus abgethan ist.
But the Israelis stubbornly refused to [understand that the old agreement would end]. Even now, when they read the old agreement, [they still do not realize that it has ended. It is as if] [MET] that same veil [that Moses put on his face] is now over their [minds, keeping them from understanding God’s true message]. They will [understand that message] only when [they come to trust] in Christ. Then [it will be as though God] has removed the veil.
15 Ja bis heute, wenn Moses gelesen wird, liegt die Decke über ihrem Herzen.
[Throughout all these years], even until now, when [the Israelis] read what Moses [write, it is as though] a veil is covering their minds.
16 Wo aber die Bekehrung zum Herrn eintritt, wird die Decke weggenommen.
But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
17 Der Herr ist der Geist; wo der Geist des Herrn ist, da ist Freiheit.
[It is by the power of his] Spirit that the Lord [works in our lives], and the Lord’s Spirit has set us free [from trying to obey all the rules and rituals that God gave Moses].
18 Wir alle aber, die wir mit aufgedecktem Angesicht uns von der Herrlichkeit des Herrn bespiegeln lassen, werden in dieses selbe Bild verwandelt von Herrlichkeit zu Herrlichkeit, als vom Herrn des Geistes aus.
[It is as though God] has removed the veil from our faces [MET]. We realize how awesome Jesus is. As we realize that, we are continually being changed {[the Holy Spirit is] continually changing us} to become more and more like Jesus, [so that people can see], more and more, how awesome [Jesus is]. It is the Spirit of the Lord who does [this].

< 2 Korinther 3 >